The detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has filed a ₦60 billion defamation lawsuit against social commentator Reno Omokri.
The suit was filed on July 31 at the Enugu State High Court by Kanu’s legal team on behalf of himself and IPOB. Omokri is the sole defendant.
According to the court documents, Kanu accused Omokri of making false and damaging claims linking him and IPOB to killings and violence in Nigeria’s South-East region.
The claims were reportedly made in a July 6 post on Omokri’s X account, where he allegedly said IPOB and its Eastern Security Network (ESN) were responsible for terrorist attacks and the killing of security personnel.
Through his lawyer, P.N. Agazie, Kanu said the statements were untrue and had harmed his reputation, especially as he is currently facing trial for terrorism at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
He argued that Omokri’s comments could influence the outcome of the ongoing case and violate his right to a fair trial.
“No Nigerian court has convicted me of terrorism or murder,” Kanu said in the suit. “The defendant’s statements portray me as a criminal and are prejudicial to my trial.”
Kanu is seeking ₦50 billion in general damages and ₦10 billion in aggravated damages.
He also wants the court to order Omokri to publicly apologize, retract the statement in two national newspapers and on social media, and stop making similar claims in the future.
The court has not yet announced a date for the hearing.
Kanu was extradited to Nigeria from Kenya in 2021 and has remained in custody since then. IPOB, which seeks the creation of an independent Biafran state, has denied involvement in violent attacks in the region.
